Friction-clutch.



LQE. YOUNIE.

FRICTION CLUTCH.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 6. I917. RENEWED DEC. 12,1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.. E. YOUNIE.

FRICTION CLUTCH.

amvem coz ya; 5. 35% mz 'z w/ Patented May 14, 1918.

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LEWIS E. YOUNIE, PORTLAND, OREGON.

FRICTION-CLUTCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14:, 1918.

Application filed January 6, 1917, Serial No. 140,875. Renewed December12, 1917. Serial No. 206,857.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lnwrs E. YOUNIE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon,have invented new and useful Improvements in Friction-Clutches, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention ,relates to clutch mechanisms and consists in certainimprovements in the construction thereof as will be hereinafter fullydescribed and pointed out in the claims.

The object of the invention is to so form a friction clutch in-which thefriction surfaces are conical that the friction surfaces may be broughtinto engagement with great force with little eifort and at the same timeprovide for the ready disengagement of the friction surfaces. In theforming of these conical friction clutches the angle of the surfaces tothe axis of the clutch has been necessarily such as to assure the readydisengagement of the surfaces when desired. Such an angle required greatforce in heavy duty clutches to make the engagement sufficient to carrythe load. The present invention is designed to obviate this difficulty.

This invention is peculiarly adapted to hoisting drums. Here theclutches are thrown into and out of engagement with great frequency. Theloads carried are very heavy and a positive release is necessary.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings as follows:-

Figure 1 shows a vertical central section of a hoisting drum.

,Fig. 2 is an end view of such a drum.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the line 33 in Fig.2. 7

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on the line et4 in Fig. 2: b

1 marks the drum, 2 the drum shaft, 3 bearings for the drum shaft, 1 theframe on which the hoisting drum is mounted, 5 a drive gear for thedrum, 6 springs for forcing the drum axially on the drum shaft todisengage the clutch, 7 a thrust collar operating on the opposite end ofthe drum, 8 a cross pin extending through the shaft and operating on thecollar 7, and 9 a thrust pin arranged in an axial bore in the shaftcommunicating movement through the hearing from the thrust screw 10 tothe cross pin 8. The thrust screw 10 is mounted in I the nut 10 and thisnut is secured to the frame by the bolts 11. The end thrust against theshaft 2 is taken up by a collar 12 screwed on to the end of the shaftand operating against the bearing 3. So far this mechanism is, or may beone of common COIlStIllClllOIli The friction surfaces 13 are carried bythe drum and may be and in some embodiments preferably are conicalsurfaces. As shown exterior and interior conical surfaces are providedforming what is commonly called a friction groove.

A carrier ring 14 is secured by bolts 15 to the gear 5. The ring has a.series of slots 16 on its face which receive the nuts 17 for the bolts.Thering has the Wedge faces 18 and the fric'tion'segments 19 haveactuating faces.20which rest on the faces 18. A friction surface 21 isformed on the segment 19 and conforms to the surface 13.

The friction surface 21 has a very much more pronounced coeflicient offriction than has the faces 20 and 18 and may be formed of any of thewell-known materials used for such surfaces, brake bands and the like.The included angle between the surfaces 13 can be made very much lesswith this. construction than where the friction surfaces 21 are carrieddirectly by the ring. Consequently a very much slighter axial thrust isrequired to set the clutch. With this construction the friction surfacesare brought into engagement as the carrier ring 14 is moved axially anda further movement of the ring forces it inwardly with a relativemovement between the faces 18 and 20. In asmuch as these may be welllubricated and of material operating with little friction the effort issmall as compared with the effort required to give a similar movement tothe surfaces direct. The included angle between the faces 20 may be thesame as the included angle between the surfaces 13. This will depend ona comparison of the resistance to relative movement between the surfacesand between the faces. The included angles should-be small enoughtoinsure a setting of the clutch and still the angle should be wideenough to assure its certain disengagement. k

In order to hold the segments in contact with the faces 18 when thefriction surfaces are out of engagement, I provide the springs 22. Thesesprings are. arranged in slots 22 in the carrier ring. These areprovided with the loops 23 at their ends which extend into the slots 24in the segments. The pins 25 are mounted in the segments and extendthrough the loops 23. The spring is so tensioned as to exert a yieldingpressure on the segments drawing them inwardly on the faces 18. TheWedging action of this tends to move the segments toward the leftasshown in Fig. 3 and to limit this movement 1 have provided theinterlocking shoulders formed by turning the groove 26 in the carrierring 14, thus forming a shoulder 27 which is engaged by the shoulders 28on the segments.

Shoulders 29 are arranged on the ring 24% and are so located as toengage the ends of the segments. These shoulders prevent circumferentialmovement of the segments on the ring and exert a driving thrust againstthe se ments as the ring is rotated.

The invention is particularly applicable to hoisting drums in that thereleasing spring not only disengages the clutch but the releasing spring6 in order to disengage the clutch must move the entire drum. The thrustof such a clutch must be carried through the bearings and consequentlyany reduction in the efi'ort necessary to set the clutch is of greatimportance in this construction.

It will be noted that the axial movement of the segments is notnecessary in the operation of-the device because the axial movement ofthe Wedges inside the segments would move them into or out of contact ina direct radial line This feature is particularly desirable if the slantof the surface 13 is very much reduced and more particularly if thisslant is eliminated entirely so as to make the surfaces 13 cylindrical.

What I claim as new is 1. Ina friction clutch, the combination of a conesurface; segment-s having a friction surface corresponding to the conesurface and an actuatin face back of the friction surface; Wedge facesoperating on the actuating faces to force the friction surfaces intoengagement with the cone surface; and means for holding the faces incontact when the surfaces are disengaged.

2. In a friction clutch, the combination of a cone surface; segmentshaving a friction surface corresponding to the cone surface and anactuating face back of the friction surface; Wedge faces operating onthe actuatmg faces to force the friction surfaces into engagement withthe cone surface; and

springs for holding the faces in contact when the surfaces aredisengaged.

3-. In a friction clutch, the combination of a cone surface; segmentshaving friction surfacescorresponding to the cone surface and actuatingfaces back of the friction surfaces; a carrier ring having wedge facesengaging the actuating faces to force the sur faces into engagement' andmeans for limitng the movement of the segments along the ring and forlocking the segments against movement on the ring in a circumferentialpath.

a. In a friction clutch, the combination of a cone surface; segmentshaving friction surfaces corresponding to the cone surface and actuatingfaces back of the friction surmovement on the ring in a circumferentialpath 5. In a friction clutch, the combination of a cone surface;segments having friction surfaces correspondin to the cone surface andactuating faces oack of the friction surfaces; a carrier ring havingWedge faces engaging the actuating faces to force the surfaces intoengagement; and means for limiting the movement of the segments alongthe ring and for locking the segments against movement on the ring in acircumferential path, comprising interlocking shoulders on the ring andsegments. 6. In a friction clutch, the combination of a cone surface;segments having friction surfaces correspondin to the cone surface andactuating faces bac of the friction surfaces; a carrier ring havingWedge faces engaging the actuating faces to force the surfaces intoengagement; and means for locking the segments against movement on thering in a circumferential path comprising shoulders on the rin engagingsaid segments.

7. In a riction clutch, the combination of a cone surface; segmentshaving frict on surfaces corresponding to the cone surface and actuatingfaces back of the friction surfaces; a carrier ring having Wedge facesengaging the actuating faces to forcethe surfaces into engagement, saidactuating ring having spring sockets; springs arranged the sockets andsecured to the segments, said springs holding said faces in contact andtending to move the segments on the faces as the clutch is disengaged ina direction of movement opposite to the relativemovement of the faces asthe clutch is engaged,

8. 111 a friction clutch, the combination of 9. In a friction clutch,the combination of opposing cone surfaces forming a friction groove;segments having opposing friction surfaces corresponding to the conesurfaces and actuating faces back of the friction surfaces; and acarrier ring having wedge faces operating on the actuating faces andextending between the segments to force the friction surfaces intoengagement with the cone surfaces.

10. In a friction clutch, the combination of opposing con surfacesforming a friction groove; segmen 5 having opposing friction surfacescorresponding to the cone surfaces and actuating faces back of thefriction surfaces; and a carrier ring having wedge faces operating onthe actuating faces and extending between the segments to force thefriction surfaces into engagement with the cone surfaces, the resistanceto relative movement between the faces being less than the resistance torelative movement between the surfaces.

cone surfaces, said ring having spring slots; and springs arranged insaid slots an exerting opposing inward pressure on the opposing segmentscarried by the ring.

12. In a friction clutch mechanism, the

combination of a drum; a shaft on which the drum is mounted; a gear fordriving the drum; a friction surface on the drum in the form of afriction groove having opposing cone surfaces; segments having frictionsurfaces corresponding to the cone surfaces and actuating faces oppositethe friction surfaces; a carrier ring mounted on the gear interposedbetween the segments and having wedge faces operating on the faces onthe segments for forcing the segments into engagement; and means foractuating the drum to move the cone surface toward and from thesegments.

13. In a friction clutch, the combination of a first friction surface;segments having a second friction surface corresponding to the firstfriction surface and an actuating face back of the second frictionsurface; Wedge faces operating on the actuating faces to force thefriction surfaces into engagement;

and means for holding the faces in contact when the surfaces aredisengaged.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

LEWIS E. YoUNIn

